We all have a favorite TV show that was unduly canceled in its prime. Common shows of this elk include: the oft-mentioned Firefly, Farscape, and Veronica Mars, but at the very least all three of them got "reunion" movies of sorts that provided some type of closure. So, for the purpose of this article, we'll be skipping those shows, and focusing on 7 other -- no less great -- shows that weren't so fortunate in their attempts to extend their lifespan.

Alphas

For me, the Sci-Fi Channel officially became "Syfy" when they canceled Alphas, which was Heroes sans the 100 boring subplots and characters. Alphas was a really engaging superpower-themed show that was cancel while in beta(just ignore that). It was grounded in a reality as much as a superpower-themed TV show could be. Unlike Heroes, the cast was manageable, and nearly every character was given their proper due. It even had a carbon copy "Professor X" (Dr. Lee Rosen - played by David "Noah Vosen" Strathairn ) and "Magneto" (Stanton Parish - played by John Pyper-Ferguson). The second season was an improvement over the first, implementing a more serialized structure. Unfortunately, everything culminates to a cliffhanger that saw the photic stimulator going off, giving a bevy a civilians super abilities. It was kind of like Magneto's endgame in the first X-Men movie, except Stanton is successful.

Tron: Uprising

This whole list could be nothing but animated shows: Wolverine and the X-Men, Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man, but I never felt like Tron: Uprising was properly lamented like the others. In my opinion, until Uprising, the Tron series has always underperformed, with Tron: Legacy being more or less average. However, one of the things that made Uprising great was that it shed more neon lights on the Grid than any of the live-action movies ever did. Following the exploits of a young program named Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood), Uprising explored the oppressive occupation of Clu's military forces. I also liked how it touched upon the theme of individualism, a theme highlighted in the episode featuring the ISO Quorra (with Olivia Wilde reprising her role from Legacy). The long-legged animation style might take some getting used to, but the animation itself showed depth and impressively brought the world of Tron to life. More importantly, nightmare-fuel CGI-Jeff Bridges is "404"; replaced instead by a more appropriately animated Clu.

The Fades

How many yanks actually saw this neglected supernatural drama from across the pond? *raises hand*. It was a bitter-sweet experience for me personally (like every other show listed here) primarily because it was so short. It was about a British teenager (Iain De Caestecker, "Leo Fitz" on AoS), whose visions of the apocalypse get him caught up in the world of the Fades - dead spirits who live in purgatory. The show had great imagery, and wasn't afraid to kill off its main characters. The mythology was also interesting, but it left a lot of questions unanswered. Better than disappointing answers, I suppose. The reason why the cancellation of The Fades bummed me out so much was that it was the only way I could get my Natalie Dormer fix after her inevitable exit from The Tudors. However, Game of Thrones gives just enough of her to satisfy my cravings, yet not too much that I overdose. Okay, time to move on before this gets (more) creepy.

Deadwood

I wrote a Deadwood 10-year anniversary retrospective that pretty much summed up feelings on the series. Spoiler: I loved it! Though, one can never talk too much about Deadwood, which ended just as George Hearst filled up his "most hated Deadwood character" meter. What could've befallen him? The show took place in 1876 and he doesn't die until 1890. That's in real life; I'm sure the writers could've taken liberties and did something to his character, instead of leaving us with the HBO version of blue balls. On the other hand, the show could have continued with him leaving unpunished, thwarting the audiences' expectations. The point is, it would've been a blast either way. No show since Deadwood has averaged a higher number of fucks per minute. It's nice that we have Hell on Wheels for the foreseeable future, but Deadwood was in a league of its own. Despite the fact that Deadwood has an inconclusive ending, watching all 36-episodes supplies you with a more fulfilling experience than most complete series.

Jericho

This show has the Guinness World Record of being the only TV show to be renewed -- not by the strength of its viewer's Nielsen rating boxes -- but by the strength of their peanuts. But let's not kid ourselves, that second season was the last, dying gasp of a once strong TV show. Before post-apocalyptic shows were all the rave, Jericho stood tall on the premise about a town recovering from a nation-wide nuclear attack. Skeet Ulrich (remember him?) commanded the show as the lead character Jake Green - the prodigal son, who returns to help lead his hometown against rival towns and other dangerous factions. Insurrection, supply shortages, civil war -- they were all present in Jericho. The show's fanbase was so distraught over the cancellation, that they crowd-funded peanuts to CBS in a effort to make them reverse their decision. It worked, but those same peanuts re-aggravated the head of CBS' peanut allergy, which is the REAL reason it was cancel again (don't ask me for a source). As sad as it was to see it canceled a second time, the story went to live on in the form of comic books. It's a consolation prize for fans of the TV show to be sure, but it's closure nonetheless. Still, nuts to that, I wanted a live-action third season!

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles had a pretty good first season, but an even better second season, which gave the would-be third season an excellent premise. Lena Heady fit easily into the role made famous by Linda Hamilton, and Summer Glau made for a very convincing and sexy terminator. The show also played with some interesting ideas, such as a terminator being a mother, the evolution of A.I., and the characterization of John Connor. The movies just tell us how great a leader John Connor is (or will be); we never actually see him grow into certain leadership qualities. But in the Sarah Connor Chronicles, we do see that growth over the course of the series. And the series finale ends at a point where we can see him lead the resistance from the ground up. It creates an alternative timeline where John isn't able to get by simply off the strength of his mother's name and his years of experience battling Skynet. Furthermore, almost everyone was shipping Cameron and John, and the new timeline made that a high possibility, while altogether eliminating the troubling idea of human-terminator love-making. Sarah Connor Chronicles was ahead of its time, however, the poor reception of Terminator Salvation certainly hurt its chances at getting renewed.

Terriers

It's hard to believe it's been nearly four years since Terriers first premiered. The crime dramedy, which aired on FX, only lasted 13 episodes before being unceremoniously canceled. And you can't blame FX; the show never really found an audience, which is depressing considering the cable network bar for success. How come people overlooked this TV gem? For starters, the name didn't do it any favors. At face value, it didn't let people know what the show was about. But look a little deeper, and it makes perfect sense. Dogs of the Terrier breed are diverse in size, very energetic, experts at digging up subterranean creatures, and extremely intelligent... Kind of like the two lead characters - Hank and Britt. Played by Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James respectively, Hank and Britt were endlessly entertaining during their investigation into a real estate murder-mystery. Logue and Raymond-James both practically earned a spot on the periodic table for their chemistry together. The show flew under the radar, but it was never underrated. Everyone who watched it loved it, it's just a shame more people didn't watch. The ending was a literal and metaphorical crossroad; what happens to Hank and Britt depends entirely on whether or not you're a pessimist or optimist. However, if the show continued, it's clear what direction they would've went. At least it has a somewhat conclusive ending. Regardless, Terriers is definitely worth the watch, and if you have Netflix and haven't watched it, now's your chance.

We're approaching the 10th anniversary of the first season of Deadwood - HBO's preeminent TV Western. AMC's Hell on Wheels is enjoyable, as it enters its 4th season, but it can't hold a 19th century candle to Deadwood. In matter of fact, it probably owns a great deal to Deadwood for acting as the catalyst that started its own development. It's been seven years since Deadwood unceremoniously ended, and while it lives on in the realm of HBO Go (HBO Go. It's HBO. Anywhere!), occasionally paying tribute to it helps keep the show fresh in the public's collective mind. Some many great characters, moments, and lines can be found in Deadwood. So as a mark of respect to my favorite character in the series, Al Swearengen, this remembrance will be suitably structured around some of his quotes. (WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!)

"You want a donkey’s attention, you bring a fucking pole down between his ears."

In the early 2000s, traditional Westerns weren't exactly what the general public wanted in terms of entertainment. Very few movies and TV shows used a Western backdrop; the ones that did were terrible, and if they were at all decent, they flew under the radar. So, how do you get the public's attention when launching a Western TV show? You make sure the show in question is gritty, vulgar, cynical, and unrepentant in its depiction of the American West. In other words, you need to bring the pole down on our fucking heads. I mean, prostitution, opium dens, racism. We saw every ugly aspect of Westerns during Deadwood's 36-episode run. It was a refreshingly filthy show, displaying the worst of mankind, as well as mankind's resolve to form order out of chaos.

I know it's not TV, it's HBO, but never have I heard so much profanity on a TV show. The pilot alone had characters utter the word "fuck" 43 times. Assuming an average episode length of 53.4 minutes, that's .81 "fucks" per minute for the entire series (need to step my fucking game up!). And yes, such swear words were rarely if ever used during Deadwood's time period, but it gave the dialogue a certain "umph." Hell, it's not as if it was Ken Burns' Deadwood, and more importantly, the characters and actors made it work. They were melodious swearers that made offensive and nasty dialogue a treat to the ears. Truly, the dialogue in Deadwood was Shakespeare by way of Joe Pesci - Yes, that's a compliment.

Hand-in-hand with the crudeness of the dialogue, was its portrayal of the brutal nature of Western expansion. I don't revel in violence for the sake of violence, I instead hope for violence to carry a meaning. And when characters were killed off on Deadwood, it felt like the logical conclusion to their arc (never truer than in Wild Bill's case). And as an added bonus, the headshots, throat-slits, and hangings often evoked visceral reaction due to their authenticity. It was startling how characters could kill indiscriminately one moment, then be civil the next.

"Welcome to fucking Deadwood!"

Historical figures, fictional characters, they were all present in Deadwood. Every episode fleshed out a character you thought you had a handle on. Of the many characters to pass through the mining town, characters like Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen (more on him later), Calamity Jane, E. B. Farnum, and Doc Cochran have burned a permanent image in my memory. Timothy Olyphant was born to play Seth Bullock (later reincarnated as Raylen Givens). The bull-headed lawman was the epitome of Western justice. Anna Gunn, pre-Breaking Bad hate, played his long-suffering wife, while Molly Parker played his gloomy love interest. Robin Weigert gave the most authentic portrayal of Calamity Jane ever, with Keith Carradine briefly playing a subdued version of Wild Bill. Then you have Brad Dourif, who stole scenes as Doc Cochran. Every character was unique in his or her own way - even when they were played by the same actor. But the character who carved the biggest space in pop culture was Al Swearengen, played expertly by the always-enjoyable Ian McShane.

Al Swearengen was the bridge that linked together all the other characters. He was a greedy son of a bitch, who stuck his nose into everyone's business. If something concerned him even the slightest, he would have a say on how it played out. This obviously didn't sit well with Seth Bullock, culminating in one of the best fist-fights TV had ever seen. Other than Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen interacted with multiple characters in increasingly entertaining ways. His relationship with Mr. Wu is one for the ages. The two were only able to cross the language barrier through a mutual understanding of profanity. Beautiful.

The way the show ingratiated us to Al Swearengen was by presenting him as a complicated figure. It's a widely known fact that him and Seth Bullock locked horns many times. At first, like Bullock, we considered him to be the main antagonist of the series. Though as the series unfolded, you were privy to his growth as a character. Maybe he was this multi-faceted from the beginning, but by the time the series ended, without a question we saw Al Swearengen for the complex figure he was. He wanted Deadwood to prosper as much as any law-abiding citizen would. The problem was, Deadwood was lawless since it was founded, and the only way to maintain some kind of civil peace was through fear. First and foremost, he made sure no one interrupted is cash flow, and then he would help out town staples like A. W. Merrick. Even the rivalries he had with Seth Bullock and Cy Tolliver were eventually squashed for the good of the town. Yet, he continued to guard his territory with a threatening calm.

It's important to remember that Al Swearengen was by no means saint. He killed people -- when it was warranted -- but preferred to maintain a status-quo with everyone whenever possible. One example of how he viewed death as a necessity was the mercy-killing he gave Reverend Smith, played by Ray McKinnon. Everyone knew he was suffering from a brain tumor, but only Al Swearengen was kind enough to do something about it. The painless suffocation of Reverend Smith was a sobering moment, made even more affecting by Al comparing the act to "packing a snowball." It was arguably the nicest thing Al Swearengen ever did... Well, that and taking care of the ever-endearing Jewel. However, would such an act be considered ethical today? Absolutely not, but in Deadwood, you could only wish someone would be so kind.

"Announcin' your plans is a good way to hear god laugh."

In what was unknowingly the series finale, George Hearst was leaving Deadwood under the gaze of every resident he ever slighted. And boy, if looks could kill... It reminded me of the episode of The Simpsons, where Mr. Burns just blotted out the sun; every Springfielder looked at him with murderous intent as he frolicked about, basking in his own malevolence. Of course Mr. Burns was shot and left for dead, but George Hearst was a real person. We knew he couldn't die, but in TV, liberties could've been taken to end the season with him at least in critical condition. But, no one in Deadwood acted against him. It was frustrating, but we thought he'd get his comeuppance in season 4... Then, HBO canceled Deadwood.

Cue the cycles of depression.

How could they end a flagship show on such an unsatisfying conclusion?! Oh, but hold on, two Deadwood movie were announced to give the characters a proper sendoff. And while there were constant talks of the movies being in development, they remained in limbo. With Ian McShane flat-out saying they were "Dead." When Al Swearengen says something's dead, best not to question him. However, the movies were still a possibility as early as 2011, before David Milch said himself it was highly unlikely. Not to continuing beating a dead horse (insert "Luck" joke), people simply stop asking him. If Deadwood ended a few years ago, David Milch -- assuming he got HBO's blessing -- might have kickstarted Deadwood. Just hoping against hope, but that could still be a possibility. But let's not kid ourselves, Deadwood is Dead.

"Pain or damage don’t end the world, or despair, or fuckin’ beatings. The world ends when you’re dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man — and give some back."

Deadwood was cut short, and it ended on an unsatisfactory cliffhanger. So what? Good shows are canceled all the time. It's not really a matter of quality; a variety of factors play a hand in the lifespan of a show. Factors we, as the audience, have no say in. However, the factor we can influence is whether or not we watch a show. So if you think you might like a show, don't wait until it's renewed before watching it. When Al said that line, Merrick has just had his livelihood destroyed, and was sulking in depression. You might've been mad at HBO for their decision to cancel this masterpiece, but get used to it. That's just the way networks operate. Just be thankful that today even canceled shows live on through streaming services and Blu-rays. The best way to fight against prematurely canceled shows is by watching them, letting networks know what they missed out on.

Those who haven't watched Deadwood yet, should change that A.S.A.P! This piece probably seemed like I was gushing over Al Swearegen the whole time, because for the most part, I was. But for good reason, the character of Al Swearegen embodies everything that was great about Deadwood. He held no punches, entertained, and had moments of profound insightfulness. While I'd welcome a continuation of the series, I've come to terms which its unfinished nature, and found that it doesn't have much of an effect on repeat viewings. It was great in 2004, and it's great in 2014. Here's to another 10 years of Deadwood being the best Western to grace modern TV.

Thanks for reading! For your diligence, enjoy this best of Al Swearengen video: